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Heim joints, inserts and casters

Janger

(John)
Administrator
Vendor
https://www.casterland.com/collections/medium-weight-casters/products/3-x-1-1-4-ccnp3125unspb

That type of caster is roughly what I’m looking for, if I could get them a little cheaper that’d be ideal.

Anyone dealt with them on shipping? Ive tried a couple times to call to ask for a shipping quote but haven’t had any luck yet.

I’m pretty sure a couple of you guys have used caster land before?

Thanks all
They have good stuff. Yeah reasonable shipping. A set of 8 casters was $20ish.
 

ducdon

Super User
Premium Member
I'm not sure where your located. I've had some success getting Heim Joints through Transmission Supply in Calgary. They gave me the option of a special order and paying shipping or waiting for them to come as part of their restocking and no shipping. I chose the later. Although their title suggests Automotive they are also a major bearing supplier.
 

Chicken lights

Forum Pony Express Driver
E80D7D0F-DC81-4840-B984-C8993608EA11.jpeg B2BECA5E-E0C5-436C-BB4D-4CA4E5D2FE3A.jpeg 3F581C3E-2552-4C5A-AA11-22D24F605D8E.jpeg Interesting day.

4’ x 4’ sheet of 1/2” plywood. Put one caster at each corner. The frame just bent the plywood the first try, buckling it to where it was useless

Ok. Plan B

Cut a couple strips of 3/8” plywood, glued and screwed to roughly centre the frame on the strips. Moved the casters under the strips. That loaded better but when I moved the casters closer to the middle the ends of the plywood bent.

Ok. Plan C

Moved the casters farther out and added two blocks to pick up one end of the frame.

Success!! We have liftoff

Definitely amateur hour but then again I’ve never tried moving something that large and heavy on a home built dolly.
 

Tom O

Ultra Member
Do you need a heavy duty dolly temporarily or long term? I’ve got one you could borrow in Calgary Doverglen area. I’ll take a pic when I get home. I believe it’s something like 4’ x3’x18” tall.
 

Chicken lights

Forum Pony Express Driver
Do you need a heavy duty dolly temporarily or long term? I’ve got one you could borrow in Calgary Doverglen area. I’ll take a pic when I get home. I believe it’s something like 4’ x3’x18” tall.
That’s a kind offer, sir, but I’m over in Ontario

But thank you!
 

Tom O

Ultra Member
Well that’s no good! My Son will be disappointed he’s been saying get rid of it we were using it to roll around a chev cab, I say keep it rather than make one somewhere down the road! ( I win ) lol.
 

Chicken lights

Forum Pony Express Driver
9B60AED5-40F7-48F0-B5E6-274FB7C41788.jpeg
One side wasn’t even a tie rod end, it was wallered out to take a nut and bolt! There had to be over an inch of play in that side alone!
 

ducdon

Super User
Premium Member
Back in the day I worked in a race shop. We did a lot of suspension work using Heim Joints. Here's a table of tube and tap sizes I put together. Most of our applications used thick wall DOM seamless tubing tapped for Heim joints. About the only time we used inserts was when using thin wall chrome molly which was usually too expensive for most racers. Tubing Wall Thickness and Tap Size.jpg
 

Chicken lights

Forum Pony Express Driver
Back in the day I worked in a race shop. We did a lot of suspension work using Heim Joints. Here's a table of tube and tap sizes I put together. Most of our applications used thick wall DOM seamless tubing tapped for Heim joints. About the only time we used inserts was when using thin wall chrome molly which was usually too expensive for most racers. View attachment 5565
That might be the way to go!

I was debating trying to source some tie rod ends and making new linkage, but I think a heim joint and some tubing is going to be easier to source out
 
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